Homophobia And Identity Development In Schools: The School Environment Of Get Real

Homophobia and Identity Development in Schools: The School Environment of Get Real

Homophobia in school environments hurt society as a whole by enforcing and reproducing heteronormativity and preventing individuals of all sexual orientations from expressing their true selves at a young age. Nowhere is this better demonstrated than in the award-winning film, Get Real (1998). With reliance upon Blumenfeld, the following suggests that homophobia in school environments isolates homosexual individuals while limiting the amount of sex education and identity exploration occurring in schools, resulting in the reproduction of homophobia and heteronormativity in society. This argument will be demonstrated through an analysis of the school setting present

When Steven is caught in the woods after secretly meeting with John, his father scolds him for being reckless, exclaiming that Steven “could have been molested by some dirty old queer,” (Get Real). The assumptions that first, gay men are all “dirty” or sexual deviants, and second, that Steven is straight in the first place, demonstrate how society enforces heteronormativity on the assumption that everyone is straight while demonizing those that are homosexual. The stereotyping of gay people as abnormal and perverted is “used as a means to control and [is] a further hindrance to understanding and to meaningful social change,” (Blumenfeld 383). This villainization of homosexuals causes further confusion amongst those who are questioning their sexuality and makes it much more difficult for those who are gay to come out to their loved ones. Additionally, due to the common stereotype that all gay men are effeminate and all gay women are tomboys, individuals of all sexual orientations are discouraged from exploring aspects of their identity that are tied to the opposite gender, for fear of being labeled as gay, and being discriminated against on that assumption. This is present, especially in sports culture, where toxic masculinity is strongly

During his acceptance speech, Steven comes out as gay, stating “I’m sick of feeling totally alone,” communicating how isolated and misunderstood he feels due to the homophobia he is constantly surrounded by (Get Real). When school environments promote homophobia instead of tolerance, that hatred can be “internalized by members” of the LGBTQ+ community, which “[damages] the spirit and [stifles] emotional growth,” (Blumenfeld 381). This then causes these individuals to feel isolated and misunderstood by their friends, families, and communities. Moreover, those who are questioning their identity can become confused, and deny their sexuality for fear of being discriminated against, similar to how John acts towards the beginning of the film. Overall, homophobia in schools prevents students from exploring and expressing their identities and discovering their true selves during the most crucial years of identity